Apparatus for amalgamating metals.



No. 647,539. Patented Apr. 17, |900. .1. c. TELLER.

APPARATUS FOB AMALGAMATING IMETALS.

(Application 1ed.Feb. 4, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet VI.

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No. 647,539. Patented Apr. |7, |900. J. c. TELLER.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS.

(.lpplcation led Feb. 4, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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TH: Nonms vanas co.. Pnomuwn., wAswNnTnN, n c

No. 647,539. Patented Apr. n. |900. c. TELLER.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS.

(Applicatin med Feb. 4, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(N0 Model.)

IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICEs .IOIIN O. TELLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 647,539, dated April17, 1900.

Application filed February 4,1899. Serial No. 704,473. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN O. TELLER, acitizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county ot' Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Amalgamating Metals; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatusfor amalgamating and collecting finely-divided metals Whether in theform of vapor or in the form of so-called iioat or Iiakeiy metal.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations ofdevices hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line fr' ofFig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately onthe line x2 m2 of Fig. 1, some parts being shown in full; and Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 063 m3 ofFig. 1.

Acollecting or condensing receptacle,which, as shown, is in the form ofa vertically-disposed and approximately air-tight drum, is indicatedbythe numeral 1. The inlet tube or stack 2, which leads from theroasting-furnace or other receptacle in which the ore is treated byheat, opens into the upper portion of the drum or receptacle 1. Anoutlet tube or stack 3 opens from the lower portion of the drum 1.

Within the druml is a pair of overlapped and vertically-disposedpartition-plates 4 and 5, the former of which depends from the top' ofthe drum and terminates short of its bottom and the latter of whichrises from the bottom of the drum and terminates short of the topthereof. The bottom of the partitionplate 5 is spaced apart from thebottoni of the drum 1 by thimble 6, so as to permit of the freecirculation of the water, (indicated'at a.) The dependingpartition-plate 4 is provided with downwardly-inclined baffle plates orblades 7 that project from its opposite sides, and the battle-plate 5 islikewise provided with similar baffle-plates 8. The drum lis alsopreferably provided with downwardlyinclined baffle plates or blades 9.The coperating baiiie plates or blades 7, S, and 9 overlap in zigzagorder.

Within the drum 1 the outlet tube or stack 3 is provided with adownturned hood 10, the

inner edge of which terminates in a gutter or channel 11, which runs outat the sides and lower portion of the said hood-section 10. The drum 1is also shown as provided with a removable door or cover 12, thatnormally closes a manhole or opening through which access to theinterior of drum 1 is permitted when the said door 12 is opened orremoved.

As shown, the spraying device at the upper end of the drum 1 consists ofa supplypipe 13, supported from the drum by brackets 14 and providedwith a series of depending branches 15, the lower ends of whichterminate within the drum in parallel transverselyextendedspraying-pipes 1G. The depending branches 15 are preferably eachprovided with a valve 17. The ends of the sprayingpipe sections 1G areclosed, and their under surfaces are provided with long slots which arecovered by perforated metallic strips 1S, that are soldered or otherwiseremovably secured thereto. This construction leaves the spraying-pipes16 sufficiently strong and at the same time affords means whereby theper forations in the same may be varied simply by substituting sections18 having the different perforations.

At one side and a little way above its bottom the tank 1 is providedwith an overflowpipe 19, and to the projecting end of this overflow-pipe19 is swiveled a laterally-extended pipe-section 20, to the free end ofwhich in turn a depending discharge-section 21 is swiveled. At its freeend and upper side the pipe-section 20 is provided with a very smallperforation or air-hole 22 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The drum 1 is provided with an elongated passage 23 in the centralportion of its bottom. An approximately-semicylindrical pocket 211 issecured with a water-tight joint to the bottom of the drum 1 immediatelybelow the passage 23. This pocket 24 contains a body of IOO mercury orquicksilver, (indicated at z.) Working Within the mercury-pocket 24 isan agitator consisting of a shaft 25, provided with propeller-likeblades 26. The shaft 25 is suitably mounted in the pocket 2l and worksoutward through a stuffing-box 27 at one end thereof, and at its outerend it is provided with a pulley 28 and, as shown, is further supportedby a bearing 28', depending from the tank l. A power-driven belt (notshown) runs over the pulley 28 to impart the rotary motion to theagitator. The propelling-blades 26, which stand on the opposite sides ofthe center of the pocket 24, are inclined in reverse directions, and thepropeller is driven in the direction indicated by the arrows marked onFigs. 2 and 3, so that the mercury will be forced toward the center ofthe receptacle as it is agitated. In this preferred arrangement I placewithin the drum 1 a pair of mercury-pans 29 and 30, the former of whichis suitably mounted below the lower edge of the lowermost baffle-plate 7and the latter of which is located just below the lower edge of thelowermost left-hand baflie-plate 9. As shown, the drum I is providedwith normallyclosed openings 3l, through which the mercury-.pans 29 and30 may be removed and placed in working position.

e2 indicates mercury contained by the pans 29 and 30.

To catch the overiiow from the mercurypans 29 and 30,11oppers 32 and 38,respectively, are placed below the said pans. In this preferredconstruction the hoppers 32 and 33 are joined, as shown at 34', and areprovided with a common depending spout or discharge-section 34, whichextends into the mercury-pot 24 and terminates approximately.

at or slightly below the surface of the mercury s'.

Operation: By means of a suitable fan or other device for forcing airthe air and gases from the roasting-furnace laden with the vaporized orfloat metal, which We will assume for the purposes of illustration -tobe gold, are forced into the collecting drum or receptacle l. Preferablythis is accomplished by suction produced in the discharge-tube 3. Vhenthe gold-laden air and gas are delivered to the receptacle l, theirtemperature will be very high. Tater is caused to drip in finelydividedstreaxns through almost the enti re interior surface of the drum, thisof course being accomplished by opening the valves 17 of the sprayingdevice. This action of the water of course rapidly cools the gas and airand causes the precipitation of the gold, and, furthermore, the Waterwill collect a very large portion of the metal by its direct contacttherewith. The metal-laden gas and air in passing through the receptaclel are caused to take a zigzag course, first downward, then upward, andthen again downward, and is constantly being brought into contact withthe baffle-plates or deflecting-leaves, onto which water is constantlydropping. By this action the gas and air will be thoroughly cooledbefore they reach the discharge side of the tank l, and all of the goldor other metal with which they were originally laden will beprecipitated with the water. The Water laden with the gold will bedropped or discharged from the baffle-plates 7 and 9, which stand,respectively, above the troughs or pans 29 and 30, onto the mercury z2,and by this mercury a considerable portion of the gold will be caughtand held. The gold-laden water will then overflow the pans 29 and 30 andby the hoppers 32 and 33 and discharge-spout 34 will be delivered to themercury z contained in the pocket 24. All this time t-he rotary agitator25 26 is kept in motion, and under the action of the agitating-arms 26the mercury is kept in a state of agitation and is constantly.

mixed or commingled with the metal-laden water which is discharged fromthe spout-section 34. By this action all particles of the finely-dividedgold or other metal are positively forced into contact with the mercuryand none is permitted to escape.

By dropping metal-laden water onto a body of mercury or Quicksilver onlya portion of the metal may be secured and held by the mercury under theprocess of amalgamation; but by positively mixing and commingling saidmetal-laden water with the mercury the process of amalgamation is, asbefore stated, rendered certain and complete.

It is preferable to hold a considerable body of water above the body ofmercury, so that the above-described agitating action will take placeentirely below the surface of the water, thereby preventing splashing ofthe mercury. By means of the adjustable discharge device 19 2O 2l thelevel of the water in the bottom of the tank l may be varied. Forexample, if the free end of the section 2O is raised above itshorizontal position the water in the tank l will seek the level of theair hole or vent 22. The depending section 2l serves to deliver theWater into a suitable catch-receptacle orother device, and this section,as previously stated, is swiveled, so that it may always be set in avertical position. The vent-perforation 22 prevents the section 2l fromhaving a siphon action. All of the gold or other metal will be depositedor precipitated on the left-hand side of the partition-plate 5; but someof the water will be dropped on the right-hand side of saidpartition-plate 5. The: water dropped from the right-hand baflie-plates8 and 9 will to a considerable extent be dropped onto the hood-sectionl0 of the discharge pipe or stack 3, and from thence will run into thegutter or channel Il, by which it will be directed downward and towardthe sides of the said hood, and there discharged at points where thedraft is not strong. This prevents the draft in the stack 3 from drawingthe water with it or from the tank I. A Vhat I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows: In anapparatus for collectingand amalga:

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mating finely-divided metals, the combinw laden fluid may be commingledunder agitation with an amalgamating-receptacle, of a tion and forcedtoward the said delivery tube tube or spout delivering. the metal-ladenfluid or spout, substantially as described.

to the intermediate portion of said receptacle, In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature 5 and an agitator mounted to rotate Within said inpresence of tWo witnesses.

amalgamatinU-receptacle, said affitator hav- A ing incllned uropellingor agitating blades, JOHN C' TELLER the blades on the opposite sides ofthe deliv- Witnesses:

ery end of said spout or tube being reversely XV. W. HEFFELFINGER,

1o inclined, whereby the mercury and metel- JAS. F. VILLIAMSON.

